INDUSTRY
BCal updates
One-Eleven
GATWICK _
In the biggest single
engineering programme it has
yet undertaken, including 747
floor restructuring, BCal has
fitted the first of its 13 One-
Eleven 500s with hushkits,
Cat 3a blind-landing equip
ment, and a completely new
cabin. The first aircraft is now
back in service. The remain
ing 12 aircraft will each
require a down-time of only
about five or six weeks.
The One-Eleven structure
has proved to be particularly
durable, justifying BCal's £12
million "mid-life update"
until the airline gets its first
A320s in 1988. Even then the
airline will retain a fleet of six
or so for operation well into
the 1990s. BCal's aircraft
have only about half the
60,000-plus landings of the
lead operator, US Air, some of
whose aircraft have logged
60,000 landings and are still
structurally sound.
BCal's One-Eleven update,
in addition to Rolls-Royce
Spey hushkits, involves a
complete strip of the cabin
down to the bare skin and the
replacement of every item
other than passenger service
units. The 99 new seats (3 x
2) are supplied by Flying
Services and Engineering.
Cabin materials meet current
CAA fire and toxicity stan
dards. The Fromoplas side-
walls are supplied by BAe,
with window recesses which
give more elbow room. The
design emphasis on increased
passenger comfort has
resulted in a doubling of
the One-Eleven's passenger
locker space (to l-3ft3 per
seat). The fibreglass lockers
are supplied by Fliteform of
Heathrow, and the new
galleys by Henshall.
The Cat 3a blind-landing
system replaces the One-
Eleven fleet's existing Cat
2/Cat 1 mix. Designed by BAe
and supplied by GEC Avionics
(Marconi Avionics), . the
system is single-autopilot
"fail-passive" and, subject to
CAA certification, will give
BCal the operating flexibility
of lower decision heights and
runway visibility.
BCal Engineering is going
after an estimated 150
One-Elevens in the world
fleet, nearly all of which, it
believes, are worth updating.
FLIGHT International, 5 January 1985
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This is a black and white print of a pencil sketch depicting an RAF L-1011
Hercules over Ethiopia. These prints are being sold to raise money for the
Save the Children Fund's famine relief efforts in that country. If you would
like one, and wish to help Ethiopian children, please make out a cheque or
postal order to "Support Our Hercules Ethiopia Famine Relief", and send
it to Sqn Ldr Derek Oldham RAF at No. 30 Squadron, Royal Air Force
Lyneham, Chippenham, Wilts SN13 4PZ, UK. the cost is £2-50 including
postage and packing. The print measures 17in x 12in and has a 2 in.
border to allow for framing
At Makale strip in Ethiopia, local labourers offload packs of blankets,
bought with donations collected by the Brighton Evening Argus, from an
RAF Hercules C Mk 1. All loading and unloading in this operation, with
few exceptions, is carried out manually
Here helpers
want help
ADDIS ABABA
RAF Hercules aircrew work
ing on famine-relief flights in
Ethiopia have been so struck
by the plight of the people out
there that they have set up a
scheme for raising money to
help them. The details of this
scheme, in which we hope you
will participate, are set out in
the caption to the Hercules
print associated with this
story.
There are always two
Addis-based Hercs in this
relief operation, and so far
they have carried more than 6
million pounds of supplies to
the distribution stations at
Makale, Axum, Gondar, and
Alimata. Each aircraft makes
three resupply runs a day,
picking up an average
35,0001b payload, usually
from the port at Assab, but
sometimes from Asmara.
Payloads are often maximum
weight, which is 43,0001b.
Runways at the unloading
points are sand and gravel,
with an average length of
4,500ft and elevation of
7,000ft. Dust is a problem, but
Here crews are familiar with
that; what they did not foresee
is the fact that birds like
grain, so they have major
problems avoiding disabling
birdstrikes.
Sorties completed so far
total about 530. Average
sector time is an hour, but
manual loading and unloading
means that air time is not
high. Basing at Addis may
seem inefficient, but night
time "rebel" activity at
outstations could result in an
aircraft being disabled.
In one of the first sorties,
commanded by Fit Lt Paul
Spears, an aircraft blew one of
its four mainwheel tyres on
runway rocks. The crew
chained up the affected oleo
and took off for Addis.
Once a week another
Hercules carries out the
round-trip from RAF
Lyneham carrying spares and
fresh crews. The environment
is rough on men and
machines but, according to
Sqn Ldr Ken Bull, the aircrew
are "fighting to get on the
Ethiopia run". It certainly
makes a change from
Ascension and the Falklands,
which is not the kind of run
for which Hercs were
designed.
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